Lenders, brokers and third-party mortgage originators
charge all kinds of fees to mortgage hunters. But it's tough for
consumers to figure out whether they're getting a fair shake because
they don't know how much those services "should" cost.

That's where Bankrate.com can help. During the first
half of 2001, the company's researchers gathered closing-cost information
(based on a loan size of $125,000) from 103 lenders and brokers
in 10 states. You'll find the survey
results below.

We've listed the average, highest and lowest charges
quoted by survey participants. They are broken out into three categories
-- lender/broker fees, third-party fees and government fees.

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Charges that fall into the fourth major category of
fees, so-called "prepaid items," vary from loan to loan
depending on the time of month the loan closes and the due date
of the borrower's taxes and insurance, among other things. That
makes it impossible to gather useful information for consumers.

Closing costs: How do you compare?
(Figures are based on a $125,000 loan)